1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a polymeric composition per se and to a transfer sheet comprising said polymeric composition. Further, the present invention relates to a method of transferring image areas and non-image areas to a receptor element. More specifically, the present invention relates to an image transfer paper which can be used in electrostatic printers and copiers or other devices in which toner particles are imagewise applied to a substrate, and having images which are capable of being directly transferred to, for instance, a receiver such as a textile, such as a shirt or the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Textiles such as shirts (e.g., tee shirts) having a variety of designs thereon have become very popular in recent years. Many shirts are sold with pre-printed designs to suit the tastes of consumers. In addition, many customized tee shirt stores are now in the business of permitting customers to select designs or decals of their choice. Processes have also been proposed which permit customers to create their own designs on transfer sheets for application to tee shirts by use of a conventional hand iron, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,244,358 issued Sep. 23, 1980. Furthermore, U.S. Pat. No. 4,773,953 issued Sep. 27, 1988, is directed to a method for utilizing a personal computer, a video camera or the like to create graphics, images, or creative designs on a fabric.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,620,548 is directed to a silver halide photographic transfer element and to a method for transferring an image from the transfer element to a receptor surface. Provisional application No. 60/029,917 discloses that the silver halide light sensitive grains be dispersed within a carrier that functions as a transfer layer, and does not have a separate transfer layer. Provisional application No. 60/056,446 discloses that the silver halide transfer element has a separate transfer layer. Provisional Application No. 60/0156,593 relates to dye sublimation thermal transfer paper and transfer method. Provisional Application No. 60/065,806 relates to a transfer element using CYCOLOR technology, and has a separate transfer layer. Provisional Application No. 60/065,804 relates to a transfer element using thermo-autochrome technology, and has a separate transfer layer. Provisional Application No. 60/030,933 relates to a transfer element using CYCOLOR and thermo-autochrome technology, but having no separate transfer layer.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,798,179 is directed to a printable heat transfer material using a thermoplastic polymer such as a hard acrylic polymer or poly(vinyl acetate) as a barrier layer, and has a separate film-forming binder layer.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,271,990 relates to an image-receptive heat transfer paper which includes an image-receptive melt-transfer film layer comprising a thermoplastic polymer overlaying the top surface of a base sheet.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,502,902 relates to a printable material comprising a thermoplastic polymer and a film-forming binder.
U.S Pat. No. 5,614,345 relates to a paper for thermal image transfer to flat porous surfaces, which contains an ethylene copolymer or a ethylene copolymer mixture and a dye-receiving layer.
One problem with many known transfer sheets is that when conventional transfer materials travel through laser printers or copiers, the high temperature in the printers and copiers partially melts some polymer materials, such as a wax, present in the transfer material. As a result, the laser printer or copier must be frequently cleaned. The present invention solves this problem in the art. However, the present invention is not limited to use in laser printers and copiers.
Therefore, in order to attract the interest of consumer groups that are already captivated by the tee shirt rage described above, the present inventors provide, in one embodiment of the invention, the capability of transferring images directly to a receiver element using a material capable of holding and transferring an image. A unique advantage of the above described embodiment is to enable all consumers to wear and display apparel carrying designs that were formed on the substrate of the present invention by, for example, a photocopier or a computer printer in a timely and cost efficient means.